Question

Describe the relationship between language and thinking by discussing linguistic determinism. In your response, focus on Benjamin Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis and criticisms of it.

Answer 1

Answer:

As we have experiences, both negative and positive, they impact the formation of our thoughts. This in turn impacts our use of language. If we have negative experiences, we will form more negative uses of our language. Dr. Benjamin Whorf stated that our language then determines the type of person we will become as we have a multitude of experiences. And depending on the type of language we learn growing up, we will see an impact on our development. German, for example, is a very rough and cruel language. Which is why the Germans have instigated two world wars. Historians have criticized Whorf's theory because of the prejudice it showed towards certain cultures.

Explanation: